Virat Kohli's 83* vs Pakistan: Did we witness the greatest ever T20 innings?

[Unbiased-Fan]

Virat Kohli's 82* off 53 was something so extraordinary that we won't see such high class knock in nearby time.
Quality of bowling, tricky pitch, match situation, tremendous expectations from the people, crucial match against arch rivals, extremely pressure situation, this innings tick mark all the circles to be considered as the greatest ever knock in t20s.
With this knock, Kohli showed the world why he is the real king of Limited overs cricket.

We saw many daddy hundreds in T20s, crucial fifties, vital final contributions, but this particular innings is something different.

Only few innings comes close to this masterclass ;
Mike Hussey's onslaught against Pakistan in WC semis,
Shane Watson's brave century against SRH in finals of 2018 IPL,
Carlos Brathwaite's 4 sixes,
Stephen Myburgh's amazing knock in 2014 WC,
Chris Gayle's century in BPL final and 175 vs Pune ,
Marlon Samuels calm fifties in finals of 2012 and 2014,
I may be missing some..

Simple question to readers here, was this the best ever innings in T20 cricket ??

 

[Hitman]

In one word, yes.

 

[Gullycricket]

Unpopular Opinion: Virat Kohli's innings yesterday was not that special

Compared to his Innings against Australia at Mohali or in Asia Cup 2012 against Pakistan or his sensational batting against peak Malinga. This was over the hill Kohli made good by some brainless bowling. Apart from those two sixes against Rauf , there was not much to say about it.

 

[Kianig89]

Kohli is an ATG no doubt but this was not the greatest t20 innings, Chris Gayle at his peak innings are unprecedented and GOAT

 

[WengerOut]

Match Situation wise, could be. I rate his 2014 SF knock against SA a bit more.

 

[introvert]

Marlon Samuel's both innings in finals are equally hard fought and tad better imo.

 

[rhony]

Carlos Brathwaite's inning remains the best T20I inning as it came in a final in the last over. Mike Hussey's inning is a close second. This is Kohli's best knock in T20Is.

 

[jnaveen1980]

90000 people, millions of viewers, Against arch-rival in a hopeless situation? Definitely right up there. He himself played a few more blinders. This innings had four parts. Arresting collapse, building the innings, accelerating, and finishing against a very decent attack.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I liked Williamson's blinder too. Marlon's was very good too. That was similar to Kohli's arresting collapse and building. But you simply cannot compare India/Pakistan occasion and pressure.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

No match for Hussey. That was an SF knockout and he absolutely tore apart the attack from the get go. Virat took his time with this one. On another day, his start would have lost the match.

 

[volcyz]

If this was a final, then definitely.

 

[Boxer]

�� yes

 

[battler]

Yes. No other words to say. His batting in the last 5 overs was just a thing of beauty. Better than his Mohali knock in 2016

 

[Ab Fan]

Best knocks by Indian :-

Yuvraj 70(30) vs Australia,2007
Kohli 82(53) vs Pakistan,2022
Kohli 83(54) vs Australia,2016
Yuvraj 58(16) vs England,2007
Kohli 70 odd vs SA, 2014

 

[Ab Fan]

Best knocks by Indian :-

Yuvraj 70(30) vs Australia,2007
Kohli 82(53) vs Pakistan,2022
Kohli 83(54) vs Australia,2016
Yuvraj 58(16) vs England,2007
Kohli 70 odd vs SA, 2014

Also add Gambhir 75 vs Pakistan,2007.

 

[WengerOut]

Also add Gambhir 75 vs Pakistan,2007.

Raina hundred against SA, Rohit half century on a spicy Durban pitch in 2007

 

[Ab Fan]

Raina hundred against SA, Rohit half century on a spicy Durban pitch in 2007

Those two are behind the above six mentioned for me.

 

[introvert]

I liked Williamson's blinder too. Marlon's was very good too. That was similar to Kohli's arresting collapse and building. But you simply cannot compare India/Pakistan occasion and pressure.

It was hard fought innings hence felt so satisfying but still it was just a tournament opener for both the teams not a final or do or die match irrespective of India vs pak context. For me the pressure was no different than recent two Asia cup matches imo.

Brathwaite/Samuels/hussey's innings should always rank higher imo.

 

[boomboomcheema]

This was a great innings but not an innings played in a knock out match. Samuel's innings in the finals and Hussey in the Semis against Pakistan shall rank above easily.

 

[boomboomcheema]

And Braithwaite hitting 4 Sixes in final over of he tournament, simply incomparable.

 

[GreenBee]

This is one of the rare occasions where Kohli's personal ghosts being buried means more to me than India beating Pakistan in a world cup.

There's a story to this match. This would have been labelled yet another Kohli special 3-4 years ago, but all this coming back now, the timing and the occasion.. it just elevates the inning's stature in ways that are hard to describe.

For neutral fans, there will be a few better knocks for sure, a few by Kohli himself. But as an India and Kohli fan, this is up there as the most memorable T20 inning for me.

 

[jnaveen1980]

It was hard fought innings hence felt so satisfying but still it was just a tournament opener for both the teams not a final or do or die match irrespective of India vs pak context. For me the pressure was no different than recent two Asia cup matches imo.

Brathwaite/Samuels/hussey's innings should always rank higher imo.

This is a do or die match given that it is essentially a 3 way race in this group. One loss would put you on the backfoot. One more loss you are going home.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Also add Gambhir 75 vs Pakistan,2007.

Gambhir's inning was contextually very important. Because India was under the pump with no real meaningful partnerships. Mohali i don't even remember until he shared. This one will stick in my memory forever. Bit like desert storm. It came in a bilateral involving zimboks and Australia. But contextually that innings is always one of the highest revered innings.

 

[introvert]

This is a do or die match given that it is essentially a 3 way race in this group. One loss would put you on the backfoot. One more loss you are going home.

No it is not due to scheduling. Only If it was played after both teams had already faced South Africa then it would have been called do or die.

 

[happydavy]

As Kohli himself said, that he feels it was meant to be. Kohli's stroke making was pretty ordinary until 18th over as he lacked strength as well as shape while batting. He hardly had any shots against spinners so while he played an incredible knock, i still feel he's not going to ever get his old form back as he looks visibily uncomfortable against good bowling. The most beautiful thing about the inning was that even while struggling he kept at it relentlessly and didn't give up and never tried to slog his way out, which most players would have done. He hoped for some luck or some divine intervention, which clearly happened on the last 2 balls of 19th over when the sixes just happened. Was it the greatest ever inning, no no. There are many greater innings, but this was a great one for us as it just lit our diwali. All of a sudden when in the middle of festival, your WhatsApp group are inundated with congratulations messages apart from best wishes messages for diwali then the heart just feels more festive.

 

[dildilpak]

I honestly feel, its right up there. Considering the backdrop to his innings - his own terrible form last couple of years, the defeat in the last WC & Asia cup by arch rivals, extremely high pressure match, no Bumrah, team reduced to 31-4 - nobody would have given India any chance to chase 160 facing a gun bowling attack. The way he paced his innings & counterattacked was breathtaking. Sure, Hussey assaulted us in a SF, but an India-Pak WC game is way more valuable than any other game.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Funny to see some fans have started supporting Kohli here. Not too long ago they were against him, calling him names, blaming him for even losing the toss.

But there was one man who believed in him during his tough days and he too was targeted by those people. His name is Babar Azam.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This too shall pass. Stay strong. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViratKohli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViratKohli</a> <a href="https://t.co/ozr7BFFgXt">pic.twitter.com/ozr7BFFgXt</a></p>— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) <a href="https://twitter.com/babarazam258/status/1547657073587933190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Some fans will turn against Kohli within this world cup again.

 

[Madplayer]

Marlon Samuel's innings in the t20 world cup final is the best innings ever played in t20i's.

Kohli's innings yesterday is easily top 5 ever though.

 

[TheSultan]

I think extreme superlatives are overused these days. There are so many t20s played these days that any great innings gets labelled the best ever.

There is also a fine line between a great innings and a choke.

If Nawaz had somehow not bowled a wide and actually bowled Ashwin out, I wonder what the assessment of kohli’s innings would be? It would be exactly the same innings, but one with a loss and one with a win. The victory was out of his hands when the last two balls happened. I also personally think he made a miscalculation at the end. The controversial free hit that went for 3. He should have only made 2 and kept the strike. India would have won with a ball to spare.

However, having said all that, what impressed me the most was that he found the runs exactly when india needed them. His last 3 sixes - I have to take my hat off to him. They needed those 3 sixes - anything less would not have done, not even one four out of the 3 and he found a way to get the maximums.

Whatever the what ifs or buts - it was a great innings and he deserved it.

 

[MenInG]

Virat Kohli after 17 overs: 46* (42)
Virat Kohli after 20 overs: 82* (53)

He smashed 36 runs from the final 11 deliveries he faced at the death

 

[Swashbuckler]

Recency bias, not even his best, forget overall. I rate his 2016 Mohali knock against Aussies higher because that was a must win match to keep us alive in the tournament. Much tougher pitch than this and he scored 82 off 50 when next highest scorer for us was Yuvraj with 20 at 110 SR. It was like Kohli was batting on a different pitch that day, IMO the highest quality of batsmanship in T20s, the way he constructed that innings is textbook manual of how to execute a chase in the shortest format. Peak Kohli that, and his running between the wickets that day was another level.

Maybe this was tied best with his 2014 SF knock against South Africa, that game showed the gulf in class between Kohli and AB de Villiers in this format, and under pressure. 2012-16 Kohli was something else, no other batsmen of the modern era can compare to that version of Kohli in white ball cricket. Probably peak Viv Richards was better, that's it.

Yesterday was a declined version of Kohli who showed some sparks of his previous greatness. 2016 Kohli was like 2007 Federer, yesterday's Kohli was 2017 Federer (when he won Australian Open and Wimbledon after 5 years drought). Latter gave more joy because we weren't expecting such high level from Federer/Kohli so many years after the end of their primes. But objectively speaking 2007 Federer, 2016 Kohli were far better and made things look much simpler.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Greatest T20 knock in my opinion was Samuels in the 2012 WT20 final.

Second greatest is probably Yuvraj's 70(30) against ATG Australia in the 2007 WT20 SF.

The above ones just because of the occasion. Quality wise Kohli's 83 in 2016 Mohali was the GOAT knock but it wasn't a semi or final, sure technically it was a must win match for both teams to qualify to the semi, but still a group game.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Oh I forgot Hussey's SF knock against Pak, that will be my number 3.

 

[Protea Fan]

I will rate this innings up there with anything great i saw

Kohlis straight six against rauf in 19th over is something i wont forget ever,i have never seen something like that in my memory

You cant never hit a back of the length delivery with a straight bat against a bowler whos steaming in

That was an elite sporting moment and elite sporting entertainment

These are the inningses make you immortal of the game

Kohli is the T20 GOAT by a gulf,there is no one close

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Chasing 48 of 3 overs at MCG against Arch Rivals having 3 145+ kph bowlers.

This definitely is the greatest t20 innings I have ever seen.

The ground dimensions make it even better.

Mohali was on a smaller ground against a weaker attack and in home conditions.

He was 12 off 21
Then 43 off 39, which means 31 of 18 and then ended up with 82 of 53.

GOAT KNOCK BY THE GOAT T20I PLAYER.

 

[Hitman]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="cs" dir="ltr">Highest Score for India in T20WC Successful Runchases (Among Non-Openers)<br><br>82* - Kohli v PAK*<br>82* - Kohli v AUS<br>78* - Kohli v PAK<br>72* - Kohli v SA <br>57* - Kohli v BAN<br>55* - Kohli v PAK<br>54 - Kohli v WI <br>40 - Hardik v PAK*<br>36* - Kohli v PAK</p>— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrokenCricket/status/1584436146989256704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[TNAmarkFromIndia]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="cs" dir="ltr">Highest Score for India in T20WC Successful Runchases (Among Non-Openers)<br><br>82* - Kohli v PAK*<br>82* - Kohli v AUS<br>78* - Kohli v PAK<br>72* - Kohli v SA <br>57* - Kohli v BAN<br>55* - Kohli v PAK<br>54 - Kohli v WI <br>40 - Hardik v PAK*<br>36* - Kohli v PAK</p>— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrokenCricket/status/1584436146989256704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Why make it "non-openers"? Include openers too.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

No, Hussey's 64* (24) is still number 1 considering he was batting with tail and it was Semi Final.

 

[Suleiman]

Recency bias, not even his best, forget overall. I rate his 2016 Mohali knock against Aussies higher because that was a must win match to keep us alive in the tournament. Much tougher pitch than this and he scored 82 off 50 when next highest scorer for us was Yuvraj with 20 at 110 SR. It was like Kohli was batting on a different pitch that day, IMO the highest quality of batsmanship in T20s, the way he constructed that innings is textbook manual of how to execute a chase in the shortest format. Peak Kohli that, and his running between the wickets that day was another level.

Maybe this was tied best with his 2014 SF knock against South Africa, that game showed the gulf in class between Kohli and AB de Villiers in this format, and under pressure. 2012-16 Kohli was something else, no other batsmen of the modern era can compare to that version of Kohli in white ball cricket. Probably peak Viv Richards was better, that's it.

Yesterday was a declined version of Kohli who showed some sparks of his previous greatness. 2016 Kohli was like 2007 Federer, yesterday's Kohli was 2017 Federer (when he won Australian Open and Wimbledon after 5 years drought). Latter gave more joy because we weren't expecting such high level from Federer/Kohli so many years after the end of their primes. But objectively speaking 2007 Federer, 2016 Kohli were far better and made things look much simpler.

Yep, exactly.

This knock would’ve been forgotten potentially had Nawaz not bowled those pies.

He was going at or below a run a ball for the majority of it. Only amped up the ante in the final 3 overs or so.

He didn’t pace the innings. He was backed against a corner and had to go for it.

He has many tremendous innings which are beautifully paced and he is not bogged down for even an over in them. This is probably a top 3 knock from him, but not his best. You could see for most of his innings that he looked like a shadow of his former self before he remembered who he was Vs Rauf in the 19th.

 

[MenInG]

After another last-gasp effort to save his country, Virat Kohli once again solidified his credentials as one the game’s all-time greats, making 82* from 53 in a near-flawless performance against Pakistan on Sunday.

Brains and brawns: Walking through the soul-stirring final over in India's win over Pakistan
Both off his bat, and in the speed of the chase, Kohli’s timing left cricket fans bereft of words. No superlative in innings past quite justify the performance in front of 90,000 people at the MCG, and the man himself continues to move into uncharted territory, even for himself.

Instead, it’s Kohli’s numbers that shout from the rooftops.

In chases across the five T20 World Cup campaigns, Kohli has made 541 runs at a strike rate of 135.92. Dismissed only twice in his ten knocks, Kohli’s latest match-winning effort means his average has soared to a boggling 270.50. Outside of a 2* against Scotland coming in at the end of their winning chase in 2021, Kohli’s lowest score is 23 (27) in Nagpur back in 2016.

After the MCG miracle, we take a look back at the master of the chase in previous ICC Men's T20 World Cups.

78* (61) v Pakistan, Colombo (RPS), 2012

While chasing down a target of just 129 may not scream the word “clutch”, Kohli showed calm in the storm of another India/Pakistan meeting on a slow R.Premadasa Stadium surface.

As the batters on the other side trudged back trying too much to lift their run rate, Kohli strode out having watched team-mate Gautam Gambhir fall to a Raza Hasan caught and bowled two balls into the innings.

Kohli made just 16 from his first 19 deliveries, before making a statement with an effortless drive over Shahid Afridi for six in the first over outside the Powerplay.

He finished with eight fours and two sixes, cruising to victory with 18 balls remaining, and vitally keeping his team alive in the competition.

"The key is to stay as calm as possible. In the last game I thought a bit too much. The idea is to play 10-15 overs and the team benefits from it,” Kohli said after the match.

“(It was) a slow wicket but better under lights.”


72* (44) v South Africa, Mirpur, 2014

South Africa had never lost a T20I after posting a score in excess of 170 to this point, and after making 172 in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final, even the pessimistic Proteas fans may have thought they’d finally broken their well-documented curse at ICC events.

Kohli had other ideas, and the master went to work in the middle overs. Manipulating the field, the right hander’s 72* from 44 balls is all the more remarkable given the fact he hit just 32 runs in boundaries.

Needing 40 off the last four overs after losing Yuvraj Singh, Kohli was met by Suresh Raina. Just one of the three dot balls in his innings came at the death, and the consistent flow between him and his partners moved India to victory with five balls remaining.

“Today was one of those days when I had to keep my cool,” after accepting the Player of the Match trophy.

“In T20s, I look at the target in number of runs and overs to go, not runs and balls to go. Overs makes it look easier.”


55* (37) v Pakistan, Kolkata, 2016

As rain laced down at Eden Gardens, the surface in the middle leaned into bowlers taking the upper hand, and the pressure of keeping the 2016 campaign in their control was placed firmly on the shoulders of the batting group.

Kohli took everything in from Pakistan’s 18 overs, with the match impeded by the weather. Shoaib Malik’s 26 (16) was the best from the opposition, and alongside Kohli, Yuvraj’s 24 kept him company.

Though the man with the MRF in his hand would not be overshadowed. As if he was on a completely different surface, Kohli committed to his shots, as well as his bow in the direction of Sachin Tendulkar when bringing up the half-century. India would go on to seal victory with 13 balls to spare.

“It was a challenging wicket, that’s what you want as a cricketer - new challenges to play,” he said.

“But getting the team out of trouble gives me pleasure. The focus becomes much more on such wickets. I think the score on the board makes me a better chaser.”

82* (51) v Australia, Mohali, 2016

The only knock perhaps to rival the Melbourne heroics, it was Kohli’s efforts in a crucial 2016 T20 World Cup match that hammered in the point of Kohli’s chasing prowess.

Taking on Australia in a quasi-quarter-final, India were set 161 for victory, with the required rate in the chase climbing over 10, and eventually close to 12 with four overs left.

Kohli timed his run to perfection though, taking 19 runs off the 18th over from James Faulkner, and 16 of Nathan Coulter-Nile. Faulkner returned, though Kohli clubbed him into the leg-side to tie a bow on his 11-boundary performance.

"You need challengers every game, they improve you as a cricketer," Kohli said.

"This innings has to be in my top three, perhaps the top right now because I am a bit emotional."

82* (53) v Pakistan, Melbourne, 2022

No stage is bigger than an MCG with more than 90,000 people, and it took every bit of a Kohli masterclass for India to prevail over their rivals.

Kohli came to the crease in the second over when KL Rahul (4) fell to Naseem Shah, and after a Powerplay of 31/3, and 31/4 straight after with the loss of Axar Patel, Pakistan were in the ascendency.

Kohli never quit, and with Hardik Pandya, sort about a counter.

The pair put on 103, and set up a final assault. Pandya fell on the first delivery of the final over, though Kohli carried on, putting Mohammad Nawaz into the stands off a waist high full toss to make it six runs required from the final three deliveries. He smartly ran three byes after the free hit made a mess of his stumps, and watched Ravichandran Ashwin loft over the off-side to deliver victory.

"It's a surreal atmosphere, I have no words, no idea how that happened. I am really lost for words," Kohli said in the moments after.

"The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. From 28 in 8, it came down to 16 to 6. I tried to stick to my instincts. The first one was back of a hand slower ball (the one over long-on)."

"Standing here I just feel like it was meant to be. Till today Mohali was my best innings against Australia. Today I will count this one higher."

ICC

 

[wrongun]

Compared to his Innings against Australia at Mohali or in Asia Cup 2012 against Pakistan or his sensational batting against peak Malinga. This was over the hill Kohli made good by some brainless bowling. Apart from those two sixes against Rauf , there was not much to say about it.

Kind of agree with this. He hung around, played well.

Then when things came to the crunch he hit some good shots from poor balls, whined about no balls x2 and was then gifted one which transformed the chase from 20/80% against to 80/20% for, then got bowled off a free hit which was another gift and finally India won from the last ball.

The match turned on his/his nations ability to influence the umpires and on some flukes like 3 runs from being bowled.

He played a good innings but at no stage did I feel I was watching greatness, as a neutral.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Kind of agree with this. He hung around, played well.

Then when things came to the crunch he hit some good shots from poor balls, whined about no balls x2 and was then gifted one which transformed the chase from 20/80% against to 80/20% for, then got bowled off a free hit which was another gift and finally India won from the last ball.

The match turned on his/his nations ability to influence the umpires and on some flukes like 3 runs from being bowled.

He played a good innings but at no stage did I feel I was watching greatness, as a neutral.

I'm not a neutral but feel the same.

There was a moment of greatness, which was the straight six from Haris. That was one of the best cricket shots I've seen.

 

[GenericBrand]

Definitely a great innings, but need to chill, this was a group stage match (that too on first day).

 

[Ashmal]

It was probably Kohli's best T20 inngs....and one the best in recent times

But no way is it the greatest knock of all time.

For me, Marlon Samuels (2012 final) inngs still remains the best knock under pressure.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Kind of agree with this. He hung around, played well.

Then when things came to the crunch he hit some good shots from poor balls, whined about no balls x2 and was then gifted one which transformed the chase from 20/80% against to 80/20% for, then got bowled off a free hit which was another gift and finally India won from the last ball.

The match turned on his/his nations ability to influence the umpires and on some flukes like 3 runs from being bowled.

He played a good innings but at no stage did I feel I was watching greatness, as a neutral.

Harsh. Those two sixes in the 19th over were hallmarks of greatness, especially the first one over the bowler's head. Not many in the history of the game can do that, that too Rauf is the best T20 death bowler going around.

Pandya himself is a fearsome power hitter and one of the best T20 batsmen in the game currently, at the peak of his powers, but the gulf in class was easily visible yesterday especially against the quicks. And this was a past his prime Kohli.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Look at bowling attack, pitch and ground size of this innings compared to Kohli's Mohali one.

Btw, didn't Hussey get a chance in that

 

[Ashmal]

Look at bowling attack, pitch and ground size of this innings compared to Kohli's Mohali one.

Btw, didn't Hussey get a chance in that

Hussey scored in a knockout game....that surely counts more

 

[GreenBee]

Kind of agree with this. He hung around, played well.

Then when things came to the crunch he hit some good shots from poor balls, whined about no balls x2 and was then gifted one which transformed the chase from 20/80% against to 80/20% for, then got bowled off a free hit which was another gift and finally India won from the last ball.

The match turned on his/his nations ability to influence the umpires and on some flukes like 3 runs from being bowled.

He played a good innings but at no stage did I feel I was watching greatness, as a neutral.

In the end, what's left is results and legend. Look at Australia, bullied atleast 3 world cups out of umpires.. no one remembers it.

This was still one 50-50 call. ATG knock imo.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

GOAT knock? Target was just 160.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Look at bowling attack, pitch and ground size of this innings compared to Kohli's Mohali one.

Btw, didn't Hussey get a chance in that

Yeah this is the same bowling attack you were making fun of not too long ago. Remember your posts in Naseem and Rauf threads? What has changed now?

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Chasing 48 of 3 overs at MCG against Arch Rivals having 3 145+ kph bowlers.

This definitely is the greatest t20 innings I have ever seen.

The ground dimensions make it even better.

Mohali was on a smaller ground against a weaker attack and in home conditions.

He was 12 off 21
Then 43 off 39, which means 31 of 18 and then ended up with 82 of 53.

GOAT KNOCK BY THE GOAT T20I PLAYER.

LMAO look at all the calculations and numbers there. It just shows he was playing pretty slowly initially and left too much for the last few overs just like Dhoni used to do in his last few innings. This time it worked for him because the target was just 160. And reading your posts in some Babar Azam's threads I know you don't rate these 160 chases anyway so why are you calling it a GOAT knock now? It was a top knock but not the GOAT one.

 

[shaz619]

Certainly a special knock, although I feel Hussey’s knock against Pak is the best ever. KP’s knock against AUS is up there to, early loss of Lumb but he put the bowlers under pressure with his onslaught in the final to win the World Cup

 

[shaz619]

LMAO look at all the calculations and numbers there. It just shows he was playing pretty slowly initially and left too much for the last few overs just like Dhoni used to do in his last few innings. This time it worked for him because the target was just 160. And reading your posts in some Babar Azam's threads I know you don't rate these 160 chases anyway so why are you calling it a GOAT knock now? It was a top knock but not the GOAT one.

It may be up there as one of the best in T20 Ind/Pak contests, Ris’s knock last year was special to

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

It may be up there as one of the best in T20 Ind/Pak contests, Ris’s knock last year was special to

Yes. May be Kohli's top knock too but if we are talking about GOAT knocks then no, it is not.

 

[MenInG]

Virat Kohli on Sunday surpassed legendary Indian batter Rahul Dravid to become the sixth highest run-scorer in international cricket history. The star Indian batter accomplished this landmark in his side's match against arch-rivals Pakistan at ICC T20 World Cup at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In the match, Virat turned back the clock to display shades of his older self, scoring unbeaten 82 off 53 balls with six fours and four sixes. His knock helped his side clinch a memorable win over their arch-rivals.

Now, Virat is at the sixth position among the highest run-scorers in international cricket. In 528 matches, he has scored 24,212 runs at an average of 53.80. 71 centuries and 126 half-centuries have come out of his bat, with the best score of 254*.

On the other hand, Rahul Dravid has now dropped to the seventh position among the leading run scorers in sport's history. In 509 appearances, Dravid has scored 24,208 runs at an average of 45.41. 48 centuries and 146 half-centuries have been scored by the batting great, with the best individual score of 270.

Most runs in international cricket are scored by legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar (34,357), followed by legendary Sri Lankan keeper-batter Kumar Sangakara (28,016), Australian great Ricky Ponting (27,483), Sri Lankan batter Mahela Jayawardene (25,957) and South African all-round great Jacques Kallis (25,534).

Coming to the match, with this win, India is at top of Group 2 with two points.

Put to bat first by India, Pakistan put up 159/8 in their 20 overs. Shan Masood (52) and Iftikhar Ahmed (51) scored solid half-centuries but Pakistan kept losing wickets consistently. A 76-run stand between Masood and Ahmed was crucial for Pakistan.

Hardik Pandya (3/30) and Arshdeep (3/32) shined for India with the ball. Shami and Bhuvneshwar also got a wicket each.

Chasing 160, India was reduced to 31/4 in less than seven overs. From then on, Virat and Hardik started to rebuild the game, putting a 113-run stand. Pandya was dismissed for 40 but Virat ended unbeaten to score 82 off 53 balls with six fours and four sixes to guide his team to a four-wicket win.

NDTV

 

[RexRex]

It probably comes in his top 3 innings rather than his best ever.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

A ridiculously extraordinary knock.

Those two sixes are amongst the best I have ever seen - after Saeed Anwar.

Maybe in the context of the tournament, not the biggest match. So I won't call it the greatest innings.

But if it definitely does set the marker for the rest of the tournament.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

These type of knocks separates Kohli from mere mortal.

The ones who were hailing Pakistani lineup and calling them speed chiefs have taken a u turn now after Kohli's demolition job.

Now they are busy downplaying Kohli's knock albeit in a lost cause.

 

[Buffet]

A very good knock, but not a contender for the best.

 

[pakfan54588]

Carlos brathwett and Samuel knock was way better

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Virat Kohli on a memorable win over their arch-rivals.


NDTV

Is there a valid reason why you are deleting my posts here?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Carlos brathwett and Samuel knock was way better

Two incredible knocks were needed in that match. One without the other would have resulted in a loss. Pandya didn't do anything extraordinary. Just lent a supporting hand. If anything he pushed the asking rate up.

 

[happydavy]

Perhaps one thing we all can agree is that the six he hit off Rauf of his second last delivery (18.5) of his spell was Kohli's best stroke ever!

 

[MenInG]

Virat Kohli produced one of the most memorable T20I innings on Sunday as he played an unbeaten knock of 82 to help India defeat Pakistan by four wickets in the T20 World Cup Super 12 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India were reeling at 31/4 in the seventh over, but Virat along with Hardik Pandya put on 113 runs for the fifth wicket and the duo steadied the ship. With 28 needed off 8 balls, Virat took down Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz, helping India register a famous win.

Former India captain Kapil Dev was in awe of Virat Kohli's six that he hit of Haris Rauf on the fifth ball of the penultimate over and said that this shot will be watched as many times as people saw MS Dhoni's 6 off Nuwan Kulasekara to win the 2011 World Cup.

"Hitting the straight six off a slower ball is very tough. This six might be watched as many times we watched the six hit by MS Dhoni to win the 2011 World Cup. We will watch this six 1000 times. Virat Kohli made the game, like we used to say that MS Dhoni takes the game deep, in the same manner, Virat did it against Pakistan. We were discussing it, that if anyone can help the team win from this situation, it is Virat Kohli," Kapil Dev said on ABP News.

The equation had come down to 28 runs off 8 balls with Hardik not being able to find the middle of his bat. Kohli was on strike and he was facing the dangerous Haris Rauf. He then hit 6s on the final two balls of the 19th over, and the maximum he hit on the penultimate delivery of the over is now going viral. Haris Rauf bowled a slower one on the fifth ball of the 19th over but Kohli backed away to slam the ball down the ground for a maximum. A slower short ball was smashed for straight as an arrow six.

In the match between India and Pakistan, Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first. Pakistan were restricted to 159/8 in 20 overs.

Chasing 160, India were 31/4 in the 7th over, but Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya put on 113 runs for the fifth wicket and this stand was broken in the final over of the game by Mohammad Nawaz as he dismissed Hardik, who scored 40 runs.

However, Kohli was able to steer the chase in the final over, helping India script a memorable win.

NDTV

 

[arunpsm]

I think extreme superlatives are overused these days. There are so many t20s played these days that any great innings gets labelled the best ever.

There is also a fine line between a great innings and a choke.

If Nawaz had somehow not bowled a wide and actually bowled Ashwin out, I wonder what the assessment of kohli’s innings would be? It would be exactly the same innings, but one with a loss and one with a win. The victory was out of his hands when the last two balls happened. I also personally think he made a miscalculation at the end. The controversial free hit that went for 3. He should have only made 2 and kept the strike. India would have won with a ball to spare.

However, having said all that, what impressed me the most was that he found the runs exactly when india needed them. His last 3 sixes - I have to take my hat off to him. They needed those 3 sixes - anything less would not have done, not even one four out of the 3 and he found a way to get the maximums.

Whatever the what ifs or buts - it was a great innings and he deserved it.

Agreed.

Dont mean to nitpick - But unlike all previous occasions the no crossover (if out) rule has put quite a bit of pressure on batting side. Until this rule, normally, at 19.1 when Hardik got out by a mishit, the next ball would have been faced by Kohli and he would have finished may be with two balls to spare.

Having said that I welcome this rule and it is one hundred percent fair/correct rule.

 

[Suleiman]

These type of knocks separates Kohli from mere mortal.

The ones who were hailing Pakistani lineup and calling them speed chiefs have taken a u turn now after Kohli's demolition job.

Now they are busy downplaying Kohli's knock albeit in a lost cause.

You’re downplaying this knock yourself with some weird comments.

Kohli and Pandya couldn’t touch a single pacer except for Kohli Vs A half fit Shaheen in 1 over. And I will admit the 2 sixes vs Rauf were glorious.

Other than that, the pacers tied up Kohli and the other batsmen really well. I mean you were 30-4 remember?

 

[shamaan]

Yes for me the greatest Innings.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

You’re downplaying this knock yourself with some weird comments.

Kohli and Pandya couldn’t touch a single pacer except for Kohli Vs A half fit Shaheen in 1 over. And I will admit the 2 sixes vs Rauf were glorious.

Other than that, the pacers tied up Kohli and the other batsmen really well. I mean you were 30-4 remember?

I don't think this is the greatest T20 inning does that mean I am downplaying Pak attack? )

He was making fun of Naseem and Rauf not too long ago. I was just calling out his hypocrisy. I neither hyped Pakistani bowling line up nor downplayed them. It is also funny to see that when I called India vs Pakistan the greatest rivalry they were all laughing at that time. Now if this is the greatest ever T20 innings for them then it means:

a) They agree that India vs Pakistan is the greatest rivalry, that is why a match winning inning in a group match is called the best T20 inning ever.
b) They also accepted themselves that Pakistani bowling line up is high quality and world class.

What an own goal.

 

[Suleiman]

I don't think this is the greatest T20 inning does that mean I am downplaying Pak attack? )

He was making fun of Naseem and Rauf not too long ago. I was just calling out his hypocrisy. I neither hyped Pakistani bowling line up nor downplayed them. It is also funny to see that when I called India vs Pakistan the greatest rivalry they were all laughing at that time. Now if this is the greatest ever T20 innings for them then it means:

a) They agree that India vs Pakistan is the greatest rivalry, that is why a match winning inning in a group match is called the best T20 inning ever.
b) They also accepted themselves that Pakistani bowling line up is high quality and world class.

What an own goal.

Exactly, this was either a great innings partially because it came against one of the best pace attacks of the tournament,

But if this is a poor pace attack then what does it say about India batting collapsing to 4 wickets down for 30? what does it say about Kohli’s innings if he got it against a minnow bowling lineup? this how badly standards have fallen?

 

[ex-q-zit]

You’re downplaying this knock yourself with some weird comments.

Kohli and Pandya couldn’t touch a single pacer except for Kohli Vs A half fit Shaheen in 1 over. And I will admit the 2 sixes vs Rauf were glorious.

Other than that, the pacers tied up Kohli and the other batsmen really well. I mean you were 30-4 remember?

You are contradicting yourself. If he took India to victory from 31-4 that shows the magnitude of his innings especially when Pandya was striking at run a ball. Kohli and Pandya planned their innings and targeted certain bowlers and overs. they played out Rauf's 3rd over so as to not lose a wicket but took him on in his final over. same with naseem. they played out his last over as they knew nawaz had an over left. While chasing with early wickets down you cannot hit bowlers blindly. need to plan out the roadmap. For me this was the best ever I have seen. Cant remember a better one.

 

[Suleiman]

You are contradicting yourself. If he took India to victory from 31-4 that shows the magnitude of his innings especially when Pandya was striking at run a ball. Kohli and Pandya planned their innings and targeted certain bowlers and overs. they played out Rauf's 3rd over so as to not lose a wicket but took him on in his final over. same with naseem. they played out his last over as they knew nawaz had an over left. While chasing with early wickets down you cannot hit bowlers blindly. need to plan out the roadmap. For me this was the best ever I have seen. Cant remember a better one.

I never said it wasn’t a great inning. Go through the forum, I never said it wasn’t good.

But him trashing the Pak attack does not make this innings look better, it makes it worse. Also because aside from 2 overs, he looked unsettled by the pace bowlers.

Even I attest that the reason it was a good one was because of the recovery job he produced from where india were. Doesn’t change the fact that he did get troubled by pace.

 

[ex-q-zit]

I never said it wasn’t a great inning. Go through the forum, I never said it wasn’t good.

But him trashing the Pak attack does not make this innings look better, it makes it worse. Also because aside from 2 overs, he looked unsettled by the pace bowlers.

Even I attest that the reason it was a good one was because of the recovery job he produced from where india were. Doesn’t change the fact that he did get troubled by pace.

Pakistan has the best bowling attack in the tournament. No 2 ways about that. That is what mnakes this innings special.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Chase-master paced the innings beautifully as he used to. He didn't say it was perfect. He did worry about whether he was doing the right thing when he was on 11 in 21 balls. Then he also said they should have started acceleration a bit sooner. When Afridi bowled 17th over he decided this was it. Sure both Kohli and Pandya had trouble timing Rauf's slower bouncers. Let us not forget they were bowling on the fastest MCG pitch in years. Pace variation will be all the more difficult to pick up. Naseem's pace variation was even harder as it hardly got up after pitching. Shaheen shah bowled everything at full pace which played into hands of Kohli as he just loves pace. Hardik later told this is one of the best because they struggled which is a fair assessment. Kohli saw Pandya struggling and refused a 2nd run on 19th over 5th ball. That was the defining moment of the match. If he had taken the extra run Pandya woudl have faced last 2 balls. match would have been gone. That move alone makes this innings epic.

 

[ex-q-zit]

Kohli's innings against Pakistan was 'song of god', legitimised T20 cricket as art: Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell in his column for the Sydney Morning Herald, has called Virat Kohli’s knock against Pakistan ‘a song by god,’ and also rated the former skipper as the ‘most complete Indian batsman’ of his time.

“Virat Kohli played an innings that was as close to a “song by god” as has ever been played in T20 cricket. Like a cat playing with a new skein of wool, Kohli teased then expertly picked apart an excellent Pakistan bowling attack until it lay unravelled, spent and exposed on the green carpet of the MCG,” wrote Chappell.

Kohli slammed an unbeaten 82 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

“None of the greats of bygone eras could have dismembered of an opponent so brutally without compromising the niceties of the art of batting than Kohli did last Sunday night.”

“Kohli is the most complete Indian batsman of my time. Only the greatest of champions has the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane. Kohli has that. Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere,” said the former India coach.

Chappell also said that Kohli’s knock has legitimised T20 cricket as, an art form and nobody can dismiss the T20 cricket as simply entertainment ever again.

“It was an innings that showcased the art of batting like no other that I have seen in a lifetime of watching cricket.”

“Ironically, it was also the innings that legitimised T20 cricket as, dare I say it, an art form, more than any that I have seen in the past 15 years. Nobody can dismiss T20 cricket as simply entertainment ever again,” said the 74-year-old.

Chappell said only Adam Gilchrist could have come close to Kohli in terms of sheer strokeplay.

“I can think of many of the best hitters in the modern game who could have pulled off a similar victory, and probably have, but none has ever done it with pure batting skills in the manner that Kohli did against Pakistan,” he said.

“Only Adam Gilchrist has come close in the past, but this was even more esoteric than some of his most sublime efforts. It was simply impossible to look away.”

That the knock came from the strongest and most vocal supporter of Test cricket made Chappell all the more ecstatic.

“It gave me immense pleasure as it was played by one of the staunchest supporters and exponents of Test cricket of the past 145 years.”

“This was the day that T20 cricket came to maturity, and the nail biting game was played between two of the younger nations of the long form of the game in front of 90,000 rapturous fans, most of whom were thousands of miles from the land of their birth,” Chappell wrote.

Kohli’s innings came at Shane Warne’s home ground as 90,000-plus fans cheered every bit of it and Chappell felt had he been alive, the spin wizard would have been proud of the knock.

“Shane Warne would be proud to have his name emblazoned on the most imposing stand at the stadium, presiding over the proceedings on the fateful evening.”

“It was most certainly the coming-of-age of cricket’s new crown jewels. Kohli willed himself to get his team over the line, and demanded that anyone who loved the game of cricket stay and watch the spectacle until the end,” Chappell said.

Two years ago in a column for the same newspaper, the Australian batting legend has declared Kohli as an Aussie. He said: “Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time.” He struck a Gandhi metaphor to drill his point: “Many previous Indian cricket teams tended to play with undue deference to their opponents, as if in accord with the Gandhian principle. Virat Kohli does not believe in passive resistance. He is a proponent of all-out aggression.”

https://indianexpress.com/article/s...-virat-kohlis-knock-against-pakistan-8236903/

 

[sweep_shot]

Not sure about greatest ever.

But, definitely up there as one of the greatest.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Handsome complements from Chappell. He is right in a way. He plays in Australia better than he played in India.

Kohli in Australia

Tests 54.08 @53.14 strike rate
ODIs 51.03 @ 89.06 strike rate
T20s 85.00 @145.47 strike rate

He was aggressive in all the formats.

11 centuries 17 fifties in all

 

[SilentWatcher]

Somehow it reminded me of the movie Logan. Adamantium, which gave superhuman strength to wolverine is poisoning him and he couldn’t heal back at faster rate as he’s not that young guy anymore.

Kohli is in twilight of his career, the shots which used to get him four, are going straight to fielders. His entire game based around singles and occasional boundaries is thoroughly studied by opposition teams and choked out. He is not some flashy 360 degree player to invent new shots, just a traditional textbook batman playing traditional shots.

There are different ways to measure greatness and this is the story of the other kind.

It’s not a supreme touch, God-tier knock. It’s the knock he needed to continue his career with reports of him not being in plans for T20 post this world cup.

It’s the knock his team needed as losing to Pakistan meant qualification becoming harder as we saw in last WC and his team subjected to ridicule given the position they were in and Kohli’s wicket meant the rest falling like pins.

It’s the knock the nation of 1.4 billion people needed on the eve of their biggest festival.

He was that wounded Logan that night - old, past his prime and fighting to save last thing he possibly can, to the best of his waning abilities.

This knock wasn’t a heroic story, Kohli himself has played better knock than this scratchy one.

Call this a survival story, India was dead and buried at 31-4 with our best batsman Sky out and many many runs needed at 10+ RPO, he survived that inning to bring the match in India’s favour. Call this a innings of hope, no matter how much odds are stacked against you but never lose hope.

This won’t be the best ever innings in many people’s mind and they are right. It wasn’t a knockout, it wasn’t a sublime innings - all very logical and valid reasons but there’s something so strong about the context of this innings which will always bring it into any future discussion for the best ever and certainly being the best ever at least for me.

 

[Marathonrunner]

Yes the best innings from the King . Also this match was the best treat for the cricket fans If one would have missed watching this match would have repented it later

 

[Aman]

Arguably wasn't even the second best innings of the tournament so far.

 

[Aman]

Pakistan has the best bowling attack in the tournament. No 2 ways about that. That is what mnakes this innings special.

Pakistan doesn't have a better bowling attack than Aus or Sa, that is for sure. Could make a case for us as well.